TMNTwo
by Holly's Follies
Summary: Months after their perils in New York, the four Hamato brothers are left with more questions than answers. With traitors and enemies around every turn, each brother will have to find his own way to the truth.
1. Prologue 1

**Heeeeeeeeellllloooooooooo Fanfiction! How is everyone tonight? The author you've all been waiting for has returned with her hit new sequel to TMNT! All the flair, style, and panache that you remember in an all new story! Can't wait to read it? Go ahead! The prologue is all yours. **

**Disclaimer: gnihtyna nwo t'nod I. **

Coming up for air, I wondered where it all went wrong. Not just this dip in the ocean, but this whole thing. One minute we were chilling on our deserted island, the next it was swarming with commandos. They looked like commandos anyway, all in black, toting big guns, rappelling down from helicopters, the whole shebang. I sucked in a breath and dove back down.

Where had we stashed those emergency packs? I frogged my way down to the rocks buried deep near the shoreline. I knew they would be here somewhere. We always had a backup plan, and if this wasn't a time to implement it, I didn't know what was.

_Come on. Come on. I know they're here somewhere. _I had almost run out of air before I felt my fingertips brush over fabric. Bingo. I groped around for the handles and dislodged the fat, black duffle bag from the equally dark rocks.

I hustled to the surface and burst through with a gasp. I treaded water for a few brief moments, allowing the ache to leave my chest. I pulled one shoulder strap over my arm and slung the sodden sack up onto my back. I swished my hair from my face and started forward in a strong freestyle.

The water was warm, almost unpleasantly so. I would take swimming in cold water over swimming in warm water any day. That all-entrapping heat, mixed with that buoyant feeling of weightlessness just made me sick.

If I could get to the rendezvous point, I was golden. There, I would meet up with my brothers, and we could go from there. As far as I could tell, we had two options: try to retake the island or make a break for the mainland. With all the commandos I'd seen just on this side of the island, I was thinking the latter was our better bet.

When did the island get so big? It seemed so much smaller when you were walking around it, as opposed to swimming around it. _It's a good thing we all stayed in such good shape since being sidelined,_ I thought wryly.

I finally cleared the side of the island and got my first glimpse of the dock we were all supposed to meet at, if there ever was an emergency. I was only mildly surprised to see it was empty. I treaded water momentarily, then slammed my fist into the water in a sudden fit of anger.

_This wasn't supposed to happen!_ The dark humor I'd been viewing the situation with evaporated. I'd held some kind of silly hope that the others could have escaped, when I knew it was close to impossible. I was the only one in a good position to escape. I'd seen my exit and taken it with barely a backward glance. It was what we were trained to do, but it didn't make it any easier. I'd just held out hope that maybe they could have…

"Augh!" I cried out in frustration. "They should have been here," I muttered to myself. I'd give them fifteen minutes, but then I would have to leave. I'd be risking capture myself if I waited any longer.

I was just about to complete my swim to the dock when the boat roared up behind me. _Maybe I'm not going anywhere after all…_

**There t'is. The beginning of my all new story. You like-y? **


	2. Prologue 2

**Next update! Yay! I have returned from my Spanish escapades older and wiser. Haha, or at least a little smarter. (I speak Spanish now!) I shall try to update every day when possible. As it's summer time, I don't have a whole lot else to do, so there you go. I would like to thank my reviewers (you know who you are) for taking the time to encourage me and give me some feedback. Most of you guys reviewed my first story, so I kind of feel like I'm returning to old friends. :D Anywho, on to the action!**

**Disclaimer: En honor a mis estudios en Espana, yo voy a escribir el descargo de responsabilidad en espanol: yo no soy dueno de nada. **

Sidelined was not a word any agent wanted to hear. It usually meant months of inaction, hidden away in a remote location. Hidden, hiding, forced out of commission, it all adds up to the fact that we couldn't do anything. We couldn't do our jobs, we couldn't live in our home, and most importantly we couldn't complete our last mission.

I tried to concentrate on the work in front of me, but just couldn't work up the interest. I set it down with a tired sigh and leaned back in my chair. I folded my hands over my stomach and tilted my head back, staring at the ceiling. The thatched, palm frond roof was kind of endearing, in a quaint, island bungalow kind of way, but I was getting tired of staring at it. My brothers were too.

Two months. We'd been on this island for two months. Two months after the explosion in that strange lab. Two months after we'd discovered our parents. What we thought might be our parents… Two months was a long time. A long time to sit and stare at a ceiling. A long time to be held here, held here for our own protection, but held nonetheless.

Until TMNT could figure out what was going on, who was bombing locations our team had been dispatched to, they couldn't let us go on any more missions. Instead, they shipped us south, all the way from New York to a tiny island off the Florida Keys. They told us to consider it a vacation, our own Caribbean getaway. That went over well. We were all chafing at the restraints after a scant two weeks.

You just couldn't tell four teenage boys to lie low when their whole world had just been turned on its head. We wanted to be out there. We wanted to be the ones hunting down the bombers. We wanted to be the ones searching for the truth about our parents. We wanted to be doing anything other than sitting on the sidelines.

I scrubbed a hand through my hair and rolled up onto my feet. I briefly contemplated trying to finish what I'd been working on, but decided against it. Maybe I'd go find one of the guys and…

The sudden pop of gunfire had me launching myself to the floor. I threw myself down and shielded my head with my arms. I remained motionless for several long seconds, straining my ears for more sounds, some indication of where the shot had come from. When nothing else happened, I army crawled to the door and cautiously poked my head around. After surveying the scene, I could only think, _this is so not good. _

Black clad figures armed with heavy weaponry were swarming up the island from the south beach. Overhead, I could hear the whir of incoming choppers. As if there weren't enough enemy troops on the ground already, those choppers could only be bringing reinforcements.

I slipped back around the doorjamb and lay still for a moment, weighing my options. I cringed as I heard another shot. What were they shooting at? Or more importantly, what were they firing? It wasn't bullets; the sound was wrong. I knew I had heard that strange "whumpf" sound before, but couldn't place it… Gas canisters! That's what it was. This revelation gave me some small amount of comfort. If they were gassing the place, that meant they weren't out to kill us, capture us, but not kill us.

This was both good and bad. On the one hand, if they weren't trying to kill us, it would make escaping the island easier because we wouldn't have to evade barrages of bullets; on the other hand, if we were to get captured, they would want us alive for _something. _Be it information, as hostages, or something else entirely, it couldn't possibly be good.

I chewed my lip, uncertainty gnawing at me. My brothers were on the other side of the island, up at North Beach. To get to them, I'd have to get through the wave of commandos, and that didn't seem like a real possibility. If I could slip out the back of this bungalow, I could probably scale the rocks down to the shore and escape on my own. From there, I would just have to trust that my brothers could make their own escape.

Decided on my course of action, I crawled around to the back of the bungalow, careful to keep below the windows. I eased the door open and rolled out—straight into the arms of a group of commandos.

**Anyone care to guess who this is? I'll give you a hint: it's not the same guy from the last chapter. :D Drop me a review!**


	3. Prologue 3

**Hi, everyone. Thanks to all my reviewers for your reviews. To those who guessed, I won't say whether you're wrong or right, but I appreciate your answers! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: 1 [) 0 l\l + 0 \/\/ l\l /-\ l\l '/+ l-| 1 l\l 0, **

How many people would kill for a day on the beach? A chance to soak up some sun; run toes through powdery, soft sand; take a dip in the liquid-warm, crystal blue sea? Maybe just spread out a blanket and nap in the dazzling sunshine. It was the dream vacation for many an overworked bureaucrat, and honestly? It was enough to make me gag.

I slumped backward into my sand dune, watching my two brothers wade around in the shallows, kicking water at each other and laughing. I crossed my arms behind my head and closed my eyes against the glaring sun. My hair was hardened from exposure to the salt water and then from lying on the beach. It crunched slightly as I passed a hand through it.

"Safe" and "boring" had become synonymous in my head ever since we'd been sent down here. Yeah, The Foot couldn't get us all the way down here, and yeah, we hadn't seen nor heard from Dr. Morris since that day two months ago, but just because we were away from it all didn't mean it was all away from us. Those events were constantly replaying in my head. I couldn't seem to get rid of them. Closing my eyes just flipped a switch, started the train of images that played across my eyelids.

Were we safe down here? Yes. Were we bored out of our minds? Yes. I knew TMNT was just looking out for its own, trying to keep one of its teams alive, but… With everything that had happened, how could they do this to us? We had every right to be back there, unraveling the mystery of our family, unraveling the twist it had put in this family.

Sometimes I just felt like we were all strings that had been cast wide, the threads tying us all together spread far and apart, but the scene in New York was twisting us back together, pulling in our threads, winding tighter and tighter, catching at us, squeezing until we popped…

I shook my head, dispelling the unpleasant imagery. The deep sense of foreboding continued to hang over my head, though. It just felt like something was coming.

With a sigh, I roused myself from the sand and brushed myself off. "I'm going to head up to the house for a drink. Either of you want anything?" I called. My brothers shook their heads and waved me off. I shrugged and started the trek back up to where the grouping of bungalows was.

I'd barely gone a hundred feet before I sensed something was wrong. I threw myself to the side just as a dart whistled past my head. I opened my mouth to shout a warning to my brothers, but never got the chance to utter the words.

**And so concludes another chapter. Here's a hint: this guy is not the same as the previous two. ^-^ Any more guesses? **


	4. Prologue 4

**Hey, all. How is everyone? Thanks for the reviews, guys. They mean a lot. Here's the next chapter. **

**Ye olde disclaimer: Arrgh Mateys, I own none of this here booty. **

"Bet you I can swim all the way out to the buoy under water."

I stared at my brother, but he just grinned cockily at me. "Yeah right," I said, waving a dismissive hand at him. "That's like two hundred feet out there."

"So? I can totally do it," he answered, bouncing lightly where he stood, up to his knees in the ocean.

I shrugged, "Fine, if you want to drown it's not my problem. Just don't expect me to come rescue you when you pass out."

He just laughed and started wading out into the surf. "If I'm right, you have to cook dinner tonight," he shouted over his shoulder.

"Ha! If I'm right you have to clean our bathroom for the next week."

"Not gonna happen!" he singsong-ed, before diving under the water and disappearing from view.

I slogged out of the water and settled on the sand, watching the buoy. I wouldn't rescue him if he got into trouble, but I still had to keep an eye on him, make sure he didn't try to cheat and all.

I didn't realize something was wrong until I heard the distinctive whir of a helicopter. I pivoted in my seat on the sand and stared in horror down the path to the bungalows. In the time we'd been placing our stupid bet, the island had been practically overrun. I dropped to the sand, the sand dunes the only cover between me and the soldiers I could see heading toward the beach.

I glanced up at the helicopters, noting the ropes that were swinging out of the open sides. In two seconds, like so many newborn spiders, men were going to come swarming out of those hulls. I had to act, and I had to act _now_. I scrambled to my feet and made a break for the water. It was my only chance. If I could get into the ocean, I could swim to the rendezvous point and grab a duffle full of supplies on my way. With any luck, I'd meet up with my bros too.

I was feet from the water's edge, when I saw my brother pull himself out of the water and onto the buoy. He threw his arms up triumphantly, and I could see him open his mouth, presumably to start lording it over me, before I frantically started waving my arms. He paused and suddenly seemed to realize what was going on. He slipped back into the water and disappeared behind the buoy.

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least one of my brothers was safe. I heard shouting and realized I'd been spotted. Cursing under my breath, I made a snap decision. The water was no longer an option. If I went that way, he'd surely be spotted too. One of us had to be able escape; it was our only hope. At this point, I had to assume the worst. I had to assume we were the only two still free. That gave my brother the best chance of getting away.

With a rueful smile, I abandoned my best chance at freedom and instead turned and started running down the beach. "Hey! G.I. Jokes! Over here!" I sprinted down the beach, away from the gunmen, away from escape, and hopefully away from the one family member that actually had a chance.

**Dun dun dun! The final prologue. Guesses? Review!**


	5. Uncertainty

**Here we go guys! The story finally begins! Thank you reviewers you're all awesome! I will say one thing: only one of you guessed all four correctly. Congrats! You'll know who you are eventually. On with the fic!**

**Disclaimer: ='v'= I own this rat, but not the one from TMNT.**

"How could this be allowed to happen?" Splinter fumed, pacing the length of the mobile command unit. "You insured me their safety." He rounded on Unit Commander Sanders.

Unit Commander Sanders had been with TMNT for ten years, joining up when he was seventeen. He had been promoted to Unit Commander just last year. Sanders barely glanced up from the computer screen he was leaning over. "I said I could insure their safety up to a point. I didn't expect an entire tactical response team to storm the island."

Splinter, however, was not satisfied with his response. He grabbed a startled Sanders by the shoulder, spun him around, and thrust him up against the wall, all in one lightning fast motion. Sanders, unused to being manhandled even by an agent of higher rank, did nothing to stop him. Splinter pressed his forearm to Sanders throat, exerting a light but uncomfortable pressure. "Your carelessness resulted in my sons' capture," Splinter said, in a clear, moderate tone. "I don't care if you only planned 'up to a point.' You made a grievous mistake, and I want to know what you plan to do to. Rectify. It," with each final word Splinter increased the pressure on Sanders throat.

Sanders face grew steadily redder with each passing second, though from anger, lack of oxygen, or something else, no one was sure. At this point in time, the entire crew of the armored surveillance vehicle had frozen. All eyes were riveted on Splinter and Sanders. Splinter's eyes bore into Sanders, challenge, anger, and frustration all vying for position. Sanders, for his part, met the gaze steadily, pride fueling his need to stare down the man who was humiliating him in front of his own team.

For a long moment, no one breathed. The surveillance car was as silent as a tomb. Then Sanders straightened up, tapping Splinter's restraining arm twice. Splinter regarded him for another second before he released him, whirling around and heading for the back doors.

Sanders stood against the wall, leaning on it almost imperceptibly with just his upper back. He stared at Splinter's retreating back, watching the hunch of his shoulders, the slight limp, and the very subtle incline of his head.

"Agent Splinter," Sanders called. Splinter paused, one foot already out the door. "I'll do what I can to find your boys."

Splinter swept out the door and didn't look back.

* * *

"But how could it happen?" April asked, curling her fingers around the coffee cup in front of her. "I thought they were on some top secret island?"

Splinter sighed heavily, staring abjectly down into his tea. "TMNT did arrange the island in secret. It should have been as secure as a safe house. The team in charge of their protection is still unable to figure out how security was breached."

April looked down, unable to meet Splinter's gaze. She hated seeing the agent like this, so uncertain, so aggravated at his inability to do anything. The distress call came in at 8:15 Monday evening. The nearest response team arrived at 8:22, but by then, it was all over. There wasn't a trace of the guys anywhere. The search began instantly; the director made it a top priority, but so far nothing had been uncovered.

Splinter had been notified two hours after the initial call. To say he'd been furious was an understatement. They hadn't had the decency to alert him the second they received communication from the island. To wait two hours, _two hours_, to tell him that his entire family had been kidnapped, was simply unbelievable.

April reached a tentative hand across the table and covered one of Splinter's own. "If there's anything I can do, Agent, you know you only have to ask."

Splinter smiled sadly, "Thank you, Ms. O'Neil, I appreciate your kindness."

"There's got to be something we can do," April continued, "some way we can help."

Agent Splinter nodded, coming to a decision, "There is."

April frowned slightly at the tone of Splinter's voice, "Agent Splinter, you're not—that is—you wouldn't do anything rash… would you?" she finished, somewhat timidly.

Splinter smiled, a razor cut of movement across his face, before getting up from the table and striding out of the café.

* * *

Splinter stormed through the doors of TMNT HQ, with barely a passing grunt at the lobby secretary. Security had tried to detain him, but he'd shaken off their hands and thrown them bodily from the elevator. On the ride up to the top floor, he'd been the picture of composure, hands hanging loosely at his sides, eyes fixed straight ahead. Arrival at the top floor signaled by a faint ding, the doors slid open. Splinter strode down the hallway, prepared to disarm further security, but remained unsurprised when they simply stepped aside to allow him entrance.

Splinter threw the door open with a crack and seemed to materialize in front of Director Cunningham. Cunningham observed him coolly. "Agent Splinter, I was wondering when you'd arrive. Please, have a seat."

Splinter ignored him. He slammed his hands down onto the desk, rattling the contents and sending a stack of papers to the floor. "Donovan, you have sixty seconds to tell me why I was not informed immediately of my _sons'_ kidnapping before I separate your head from its shoulders."

Donovan Cunningham raised an eyebrow, but gave up his pretense of cordiality. "There was nothing you could have done. Even our fastest transport from New York would have taken a half an hour to get to Florida, let alone out to the island. I thought, or hoped I suppose, I could locate the boys and get them back before you were any the wiser. It seemed pointless to worry you needlessly. When my teams reported back that they had been unable to find anything, though, that's when I realized you would have to be notified." Donovan looked up at Splinter, his glasses obscuring his eyes. "I only did it in your best interests."

Splinter looked down at his own hands, clenched as they were on top of the desk. "I never thought you would lie to me old friend," he responded quietly.

Donovan sucked in a surprised breath, leaning back slightly in his chair. "What reason would I have to lie to you?"

Splinter shrugged, looking back up. "I do not know, but as a senior field agent and as Team Renaissance's handler I should have been informed immediately, regardless of whether you were considering my feelings or not. You of all people know that. So I'll ask you one more time. Why did you not tell me my team was taken from the island?"

Donovan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers. "Because we allowed them to be taken."

**Woohoo! First real chapter done and posted. Thoughts and comments are always welcome. 'Til next time!**


	6. Uneasiness

**Ta da! New chapter! Thank you once again to those of you who reviewed. You're all awesome. I meant to say this last chapter, thanks CelestialSonata7. I love that you think I'm creative. :D Not a whole lot else to say. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: While being arrested- You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney. You still do not have the rights to TMNT. **

As all four Hamato brothers could attest, Splinter was a very hard man to stump. That being said, "very hard" and "impossible" are two different things. At this moment, Splinter was stumped. His jaw hung for the barest of seconds, lending an air of comedy to the dumbfounded look on his face. "You…you _let_…you _let_ my sons be taken?" Splinter spluttered in outrage.

Donovan remained composed, not letting himself be intimidated. "Yes, we thought it was the only way to get to the bottom of this."

"How could you possibly think sending my sons into the hands of the enemy would solve anything?" Splinter yelled.

"We weren't making any progress!" Donovan returned in kind, standing to meet Splinter's rage head on. "We had no leads, no clues, no evidence of any kind! We had two explosions in as many days! What could I do? The body count was rising. The streets weren't safe. People are scared, Splinter. They think if they walk down the street they could die in some kind of fiery inferno." Cunningham spread his hands in front of him beseechingly. "Please, Splinter, you have to understand. What could I do? Your boys are trained agents. I had to believe that sending four trained agents into the lion's den was better than creating a mass panic in New York."

Splinter was shaking, trembling from repressed anger. "Why didn't you tell me?" he gritted out between clenched teeth. "For God's sake, why didn't you tell them?"

Cunningham looked down, avoiding Splinter's eyes.

"Don't you dare lie to me again, Donovan," Splinter threatened.

"I couldn't," he muttered.

"Why?" Splinter demanded.

Cunningham adopted the posture of a man who knows he's cornered. "We have a leak."

Splinter stepped back. "What?" he whispered.

"We have a traitor inside TMNT."

* * *

April idly stirred her coffee, gazing out the window of the tiny coffee shop. After weeks of working side by side with Agent Sanders' team, she was exhausted, mentally and physically. It was strange; she could count on one hand how many days she'd spent away from her computer in the past couple of months, but when she got up this morning on her first day off in what felt like forever, she could barely go more than a few steps without feeling tired. It was like the long car rides she remembered taking as a child. She couldn't wait to get out and stretch her legs, only to find she tired almost the second her feet touched the pavement.

The tiny bell over the coffee shop jingled as another customer was admitted. April smiled happily as Casey Jones slid into the chair across from her. "Hey, April," he greeted her, "long time no see."

"Casey," April replied warmly, "I know. I haven't been out of the lab in ages."

"It's too bad we gotta meet back up under these circumstances."

April's smile faltered. "I know. I can't believe that about the guys. After everything they went through here…they thought they were safe down there…and now—and now—" Casey came around the table and put his arms around April as she dissolved into tears.

"Shhh, it'll be ok April…They're the guys…They've been through worse…Everythin's gonna be ok…"

"I just…I just wish there was something we could do. I feel so helpless just waiting here," April sniffled.

Casey squeezed her shoulder, "I know, Babe. Me too."

April smiled wetly, "Don't call me babe."

* * *

"What?" Splinter repeated again, mind reeling. TMNT agents were all handpicked. For those that weren't selected as teenagers, there was a rigorous background check, a character evaluation, a psychological evaluation, numerous physical examinations and tests. The list went on and on. Not to mention the most important part of the application process: a recommendation from a TMNT operative with five years standing commendable service. For someone to betray the agency…It would mean a grave error in judgment on the part of an established agent, in addition to the betrayal itself.

The only agents on record ever admitted without the complete application process were the agents of Team Renaissance, and of course, there were very extenuating circumstances in their case.

"I know. I couldn't believe it either," Donovan replied, sinking down into his chair.

"Do you have any idea who?"

Donovan shrugged helplessly. "It could be any number of agents. We've narrowed it down to the five teams currently working to take down The Foot, the original assignment I dispatched your team on. With four man squads, that leaves twenty agents. Of course, we can assume your boys aren't the leak, narrowing it down to sixteen."

"Which other teams are on the assignment?" Splinter asked.

Donovan hesitated a moment.

Splinter sighed, exasperated, "Do you honestly suspect me, Van?"

"No, no of course not," Donovan relented. "You'll forgive me though if I'm a touch paranoid."

Splinter flapped a hand dismissing it.

"Well, you already know about Sanders team, Team Atlantian. We also have Teams Nexus, Sentry, and Samurai."

"What are these teams currently engaged in?"

"Nexus and Sentry are working on getting agents into The Foot. Samurai is still investigating the bombing of that warehouse, and Atlantian is running surveillance/technical support for all three teams, in addition to monitoring your team on the island."

"How many teams knew of Team Renaissance's whereabouts?"

"Well, see, there's the other thing. In order to flush out the culprit as it were, I very carefully allowed the location of Team Renaissance to slip out. From there, I intended to monitor all sixteen members of those teams and see which agent repeated the information."

"So you used my sons…as bait," Splinter repeated dangerously.

"Well, when you put it like that…" Donovan trailed off, having the good grace to look sheepish. "It had to be done, Splinter. A spy within these walls is a very dangerous thing indeed."

Splinter clamped down on the anger bubbling in his stomach. There was nothing he could do about the situation now. "So you know who it is then?"

Donovan smiled, sliding his tongue across his teeth, "I wouldn't say we don't know who it is," he began. "I mean, we have some idea of course, but the team I dispatched to monitor the other teams wasn't exactly, how shall we say? _In place,_ I suppose, when the information was leaked, so they didn't actually apprehend anyone red-handed, as they say."

The vein in Splinter's temple began to pulse alarmingly. "You mean to tell me that you used my sons as bait and then failed to identify who used this information?"

"The team sent to monitor the other agents was detained by a small party of Foot members. By the time they were in place, the raid on the island was already beginning. The plan to grab your boys must have been in the making for some time. The assault team was apparently prepared to leave at a moment's notice."

"Maybe you better explain to me this whole convoluted plan from the beginning," Splinter said.

"Very well," Donovan replied. "We discovered the traitor about a week before I sent your team to infiltrate The Foot. Despite our best efforts, we'd been unable to uncover who has been selling information to the enemy. As a last resort, we came up with this plan. I would allow the location of your team to be leaked. This would achieve two goals: one, we would discover the identity of the traitor, and two, we would finally have a lead on who was setting off all those bombs in New York. As I mentioned before, the team I sent to find the spy never actually completed their mission."

"So, my sons kidnapping achieved nothing. You have not found the traitor, and you have no new leads on the mystery bombings," Splinter summarized.

Donovan nodded, "If it makes you feel any better, I'm probably going to lose my job over this debacle."

"It doesn't."

**Another satisfying cliffhanger! Yay! See that little box down there? The one where you can, you know, type stuff? You should totally check it out. **


	7. Unknowing

**Hola Homies! Anybody else watching the Olympics right now? Basically lots of buff people in tight suits... Hmm, ANYWAY, thank you for the reviews. Much a-ppre-cia-ted. Here's the next chapter. Read it! Woo!**

**Disclaimer: (/O.O)/ \(O.O\) \(O.O)/ ...Looked for 'em, but nope. Still can't find those pesky ownership rights. **

I raised my head and cracked my eyes open, pleased to discover that wherever I was at least it was dark. I tried to lift a hand to brush my hair out of my eyes, but found it was cuffed behind me. Not only that, but I was cuffed to another person. My legs were free, but cramped and stiff. I straightened them, wincing as the muscles pulled and blood began prickling back down.

I shifted my arms subtly, trying not to jostle whoever I was tied to. My arms barely responded. I sighed inwardly. I'd been restrained for, at minimum, four hours if I'd lost this much mobility.

I felt the body behind me begin to shift around and figured my comrade-in-capture had awoken. I wondered briefly which of my brothers I was tied to. My money was on Leo. All I could tell for sure was that it wasn't Mikey; he was the only one I was bigger than. I heard a muffled grunt and a curse, and my lips twisted into a self-deprecating smile. Nope, I was wrong; that was definitely Raph.

"You ok, Raph?" I asked softly.

More grunting, then, "Donny? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. You?"

"Aside from a nasty headache? Yeah, I'm good."

"Any idea where in the shell we are?"

I shook my head before realizing how stupid that was, "Nope, it feels like we're moving though." There was a gentle rocking from beneath us. Considering we'd just been kidnapped from an island, that could only mean we were on a boat. As my eyes adjusted further to the darkness, I began to take in our surroundings. There wasn't a lot to see. We seemed to be in the hold of a small boat. There were a few crates stacked to my right, a ladder almost directly in front of me led up to a hatch that I assumed opened up onto the deck, and other than that it was empty.

"You don't know what happened to Mike and Leo, do you?" I asked suddenly.

"No, after I took off, I lost track of everyone. If they hadn't tied us together, I wouldn't even know where you were."

Disappointment coursed through me, but it wasn't any less than what I'd been expecting.

I felt Raph pull at his arms, but he stopped when he realized what I already knew. They had threaded one of my arms through both of his, effectively tying us together. They hadn't used metal cuffs, instead opting for the kind made from zip ties. That meant we couldn't pick the locks. If we could find something sharp enough though…

Raph seemed to have the same idea. "Think you can stand up?" he asked me.

"Yeah, if my legs have finally woken up that is. On three?"

We shifted around pressing our backs firmly together. Raph counted off, "One. Two. Three." On three, we pushed with our legs and both used the other's back to leverage ourselves up. We searched around the cramped cargo hold, but came up empty. We considered prying the lids off the crates, but decided against it. Without a crowbar or something else to use as a lever, it would have been nearly impossible anyway.

We slumped back down, next to the wall across from the ladder.

"Might as well get some rest," Raph said pragmatically.

"Easy for you to say," I grumbled. It was common knowledge that Raph could sleep anytime, anywhere.

Raph just laughed, squirming around until we were settled more or less side by side. Our arms were stuck behind us, and my right arm was still threaded around his left, but it wasn't completely unbearable. I laid my head on his shoulder and resigned myself to a long, rough night. I felt him rest his head on mine, and only minutes later, his light snores filled the small space.

Sitting like this reminded me of something Mikey always used to worry about when we were younger. He was always afraid Raph and I would get our heads stuck together. He thought since we both have curly hair, the curls would twist together, and we'd never be able to untangle them. I smiled, wondering if deep down Mikey still thought that.

If felt like hours later when I heard the hatch grate open. A pair of combat boots descended the ladder, and I watched as the woman stepped off the final rung. She was dressed all in black, some kind of body armor, if my guess was correct. She had a pistol holstered on one hip, but other than that she looked unarmed. Her brown hair was pulled back in a low ponytail; her dull, brown eyes matched the color of her hair. She appeared to be about thirty, give or take a few years. One of her eyebrows stopped halfway through, and the lips on that side of her face sagged oddly at the end. It gave her face a lopsided appearance.

"All right you two," she announced, "up and at 'em. We're here."

I nudged Raph with my elbow, but as I'd thought, he was already awake. He made a show of just waking up and squinting at the woman.

"I said, on your feet," she ordered again, prodding at us with one of her boots.

Raph and I struggled to our feet. She gestured toward the ladder in an "after you" gesture. I stared at her incredulously. "How exactly do you expect us to climb up the ladder like this?"

"With your feet," she answered stonily.

"You go first, Don. I'll walk backwards," Raph offered.

I nodded and began our journey up the steps. At least if I went first, I probably wouldn't drag us both down if I fell, unlike if our roles were reversed. If Raph fell, well, at least I'd fall on top of him. I held back a snicker at that thought. It wouldn't do to let the weird lady hear me laughing. She was probably trying her best to seem menacing and stern. She just seemed strange and maybe a bit sad. I wondered how she ended up here, wherever here was.

We finally scraped out of the hatch and once again clambered to our feet. We both blinked owlishly in the sudden light. We were barely given a chance to regain our feet before more people in black began shoving us toward a ramp. We walked slowly down the ramp, onto a beach. Fifty yards in front of us, palm trees sprang up, leading back into thicker foliage. Our unwanted entourage urged us deep into the trees and onto a path of sorts. It was horribly overgrown and barely visible.

Raph and I had perfected a kind of sideways shuffle. The path wouldn't allow us to walk right next to each other, so we settled for turning our torsos outward and keeping our legs semi-straight. The kidnappers must have planned it this way, to limit our mobility.

The path curved back and forth, doubling back on itself and at times seeming to turn around completely. It seemed to follow no rhyme or reason. Again, I figured this to be a ploy by our kidnappers, trying to disorient us. I doubted we'd gone more than a mile from the beach, despite the fact we'd been trekking for nearly a half an hour.

Finally we arrived at a dilapidated, old house. Raph and I were ushered up onto the porch and forced in front of the door. It swung open with an ear-wrenching shriek, and both Raph and I shuddered involuntarily, but that was nothing compared to the way I shuddered when I saw who was on the other side of the door. It was none other than our old friend: Dr. Morris.

**Bum ba ba bum! Le gasp! Dr. Morris commands you to review! **


	8. Unrelenting

**Evening, everyone. Thank you once again to my constant reviewers BubblyShell22 and CelestialSonata7. :D Hope everyone enjoys this new chapter. I'm not crazy about it, but I think it's at least decent. **

**Disclaimer: Chips Ahoy=Real chocolate chip cookies, Eminem=The Real Slim Shady, Holly's Follies≠Real owner of TMNT**

Escaping from my captors was easy. Escaping from the island? Not so much. I'd fought my way free. After the first group of goons had grabbed me, I managed to beat them off and make a dash through some of the thicker vegetation on the island. Branches had whipped at me, I'd stepped in something sticky that I never wanted to think about again, and had tripped head over heels upon coming to the slight hill that led down to the beach.

I'd struggled up, nursing a bump on my head and a nice bruise on my bicep, but continued on. The emergency packs on this side of the island were stashed in a small cove just around the bend. I'd planned to grab a pack, swim around the point, and meet up with my brothers at the dock. It didn't work out like that.

Steps one and two went off without a hitch. It was step three that ruined my whole plan. When I got around to the dock, it was already occupied. I treaded water, keeping my head down, craning for a look at the people on the dock. Were any of my brothers with them? After spending a few minutes watching, I felt my heart sink. More commandos had approached the original group, and they had what appeared to be two bodies slung over their shoulders.

Panic briefly spread from my chest to my fingertips. They couldn't be…There's no way. I would have felt it, if they were… The next breath I let out felt like it came up from the bottoms' of my feet, traveling the whole length of my body. They weren't dead. The guys carrying them were inordinately careful with the way they laid the bodies down on the dock. I could see how much care they were taking from here. No one treated dead bodies like that. I knew that from painful personal experience.

I smiled temporarily, relief making me a touch giddy after my initial wave of dread. They weren't dead, captured maybe, but not dead. As long as they were alive, I could rescue them. I could get them back. I wouldn't let anything stand between me and my brothers. It just wasn't going to happen.

After a few more minutes of treading water, I frowned in aggravation. The whole island was under siege. Obviously they were taking captives, and if I didn't want to end up as one of them, I was going to have to do something and fast.

I retreated back to the cove and hauled myself out of the water and into its shallow shelter. It didn't provide a lot of cover, but unless someone was approaching by boat or they started searching the coast line, chances were they wouldn't find me. From there, I contemplated my next move.

The invaders obviously came here for us. There was no one else on the island, nor was the next nearest island even visible from here. I didn't even want to think of the implications this had for TMNT. After all, one of their safe houses had been breached. Someone must have given away our location. That or the system had been hacked. Either way, it meant there was a serious problem somewhere within the organization. I couldn't dwell on that now, though. I had to help myself before I could help anyone else.

My best bet would be to find a boat. It would be quick and a shelluva lot easier than swimming. Getting to one however… I was stealthy, but stealthy enough to sneak across an entire island swarming with enemy troops? I shifted in the tight space I was wedged in. I always thought better when I paced, but there was no way I could do that now.

I would have to try it; there was no other way. Just as I poked my head around to make sure the coast was clear, I heard the shouting. Commandos were converging on me from both sides, cutting off any hope of escaping on foot. Instead I waded out into the water and dove into an oncoming wave. I swam underwater for as long as I could before resurfacing with a gasp.

The commandos had stopped on the beach, apparently unwilling to follow me into the water. I kept stroking, swimming farther and farther out. There was no way I was getting a boat now. I would have to swim to the next island. I knew it was to the east of ours, but it was going to be next to impossible to find in the dark.

Instead of swimming aimlessly, I decided to conserve my strength. I swam until I could no longer see our island, then unzipped my duffle. I dug out the life vest I knew was stashed in there and unfolded it. I strapped it on and pulled the cord. It inflated instantly. Next, I pulled the rope from its water proof casing and tied it around the duffle's straps. I dropped the duffle, but held onto the rope, marking the duffle bag's descent. It settled on the ocean floor approximately one hundred feet below me. I tied the other end of the rope around my waist. With my crude anchor in place, I allowed myself to relax slightly. Tomorrow morning I would continue my swim to the nearest island, for tonight: I was the human buoy.

**Like I said, not my best chapter, but it works...I guess... Anyway, review!**


	9. Unbearable

***Insert trumpet call here* Hear ye, hear ye, the newest chapter of TMNTwo is now completed and posted. The author would like to offer her gratitude to her reviewers. Thou all be'eth most awesome. Pease fortify thineselves on my humble offerings. **

**Disclaimer: If I were to own such a show as TMNT, oh how different that world would be. **

The speedboat was on me before I had a chance to twitch. I sucked in a breath to dive under the water, intending to kick off the boat, but found an iron grip fastened around my ankles before I got the chance. I was hauled out of the ocean, wriggling like a worm on a hook. I landed on my head and was stunned momentarily.

By the time I gained my feet, I was surrounded, but not by commandos. My brow scrunched in confusion, "Uh, aren't you guys supposed to be the bad guys?" I asked.

The people before me were all wearing navy uniforms, with a very familiar insignia on the left breast pocket. The symbol was a dove, swooping in front of a hawk with wings outspread. It represented the efforts of peace before war. It meant every effort at a peaceful resolution would be tried first before the bearer ever resorted to violence. It was the symbol for T.M.N.T.

"Yes!" I cried, pumping a fist in the air, "You're here to rescue us, right?"

A woman stepped forward, her blond hair pulled back in an efficient bun. She was about 5'6" and held herself with an air of authority. "Sir, I need you to calm down and tell me what exactly is happening here."

Whoops, seems I was getting a little ahead of myself. I might recognize them as kindred spirits, but they didn't know anything about me. I ripped open my duffle bag and rummaged around until I found my waterproof I.D. badge. "Special Agent Michelangelo Hamato, I'm with Team Renaissance. The rest of my team is still back there. If we hurry we can get to them."

The woman was already shaking her head, "I'm sorry, Michelangelo, but you're the only one we can rescue."

My elation deflated instantly. "What? Why just me?"

"Look behind you," she answered, pointing back toward the island.

I turned around and looked at the helicopters, at the masses of soldiers descending on the island, "So? You have a team of like –" I did a quick headcount, "fifteen. If we strike quickly I'm sure we can –"

She cut me off with a curt shake of her head. "No, I'm sorry. It's too risky. It's better we rescue one than lose another whole team."

I crossed my arms stubbornly. "I won't leave my brothers behind."

She nodded her head at my duffle bag, which I'd dropped at my feet, "Isn't that exactly what you were planning on doing?"

I felt myself stiffen; that had been what I was planning. I felt my frustration mounting. There was no winning in this scenario. I couldn't ask this woman to gamble her whole team against an island-ful of commandos on the off chance we could somehow make it off with my three brothers; but I couldn't just leave them to face who-knows-what on their own. What would Leo do? _Leo wouldn't have gotten himself in this situation in the first place, _I answered myself.

I reached out, wondering if I could somehow sense one of them if they were close by. My brothers and I seemed to be eerily connected sometimes. I didn't know if it was because of our upbringing, our ninja training, or what, but at times, if I concentrated really hard, I could feel my brothers, like on the edge of my consciousness. It was like feeling somebody's body heat when they were sitting close enough to you. You weren't touching, you may not even be looking in that direction, but you could still feel them. I gave up after a few moments. The only thing I could feel was the still warm air leeching the water out of my swim trunks.

I growled, guilt, anger, and worry all pushing at me. My stomach swirled, the conflicting emotions whirling around inside of me. The blond woman put a hand on my shoulder. I was sure she could feel the tension running through my incompliant body.

"There's nothing you can do for them now," she tried again, her voice low and soothing. "Come with us, and I promise you you'll get your chance. Together we can find a way to free them."

With a wrench of both my body and heart, I turned away from the island. "Ok," I whispered. In a stronger voice, "Ok, I'll go."

The woman stepped back and started shouting orders to her crew. "You heard the man!" she yelled, "Let's get this tub turned around."

This "tub" as she called it, was actually a high-performance, 800 horse power, streamlined T.M.N.T. original. I remembered going to one of the prototype demonstrations. Donny had practically slipped in his own drool. The memory brought the almost-pull of a smile to my face, but it was gone before it came.

"This way," the blond motioned, directing me to the hatch that would allow us below deck. I went down the steps, jumping the last couple. Below decks was cramped, but organized. The center of the room was devoted to a round table with charts on it. One wall held a weapons locker, stocked with a variety of weaponry from T.M.N.T. The other three walls were dominated by the radar system, tracking equipment, and a communications bank.

I took a seat at the table and looked across at the blond woman. "So what exactly is going on Captain…?"

"Morales," she supplied, "Captain Martina Morales. We saw the helicopters and headed down for a look. We just finished wrapping up a Cuban drug smuggling ring and were still in the area."

"Thanks for rescuing me," I said, realizing I'd never properly thanked this woman. "I'm sorry if I didn't seem grateful before. It was just…"

She waved a hand, dismissing the matter, "I could never leave a fellow agent in distress. I'm only sorry we couldn't save the rest of your team. Team Renaissance, right?"

"Yep, that's us."

"What were you boys doing down here, if that information isn't classified?"

I shrugged it didn't really matter now, "We were in a safe house, under protection."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

I opened my mouth; it was going to be a long story, "Can I get a change of clothes first?"

**The end of the chapter! Yay! I'm almost confusing myself as I write these chapters. Hopefully I can keep it all straight as the story progresses, haha. For comments, questions, and suggestions, please consult the review box at the bottom of the page. **


	10. Unrefined

**Hello, all. Anyone else live where it's insanely hot? Know how I know that it's insanely hot here? I took a shower today, with the knob turned to cold, and still got hot water. Shoot. Me. XP Here's to hoping that all of you live in a cooler climate than I do. Enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: Krrzzzt. Krrrrrshhhh. Going…tunnel…don't…krrrrrshhhhzzzz…any—kzzzztttt…M.N.T…**

I didn't like this. I didn't like this _at all_. We'd just spent forever traipsing around in this muggy jungle, and now we were face to face with Dr. Morris? Nuh-uh. Not gonna happen. We didn't trust this guy before, and I sure as shell wasn't going to willingly walk right into his hands now.

I surreptitiously glanced around, looking for a way to escape. Our escort was behind us, but they were bunched up on the path. There was a small clearing around the cabin, maybe fifteen feet on each side, if Donny and I could make it into the trees maybe we could give them the slip.

Donny was still gaping at Dr. Morris. He opened his mouth, but I nudged him with my elbow. He understood my intent immediately. Without warning we both lunged away from the door—in opposite directions. I cried out as I felt my arms wrenched behind my back. Don's head cracked into the back of mine as we both fell on our butts.

Dr. Morris looked down on us with a raised eyebrow. "Was that intended to be an escape attempt?" he asked archly.

I gnashed my teeth together. Two of the men from the ship stepped up and jerked us back to our feet.

"Code 27 subparagraph 4 of the T.M.N.T. handbook states that during an escape attempt in a highly wooded area, escapees should always lunge to the _right_ off the psychotic man's porch," Don hissed at me out of the corner of his mouth.

The two men shoved us forward. Dr. Morris stepped aside and let them manhandle us into the front room. They shoved us down onto a moth-eaten, dust-ridden couch. My eyes watered as a cloud of who-knows-what erupted from the cushions.

"It does not! Can the smart guy act, Donny," I hissed back.

Before Don could reply, Dr. Morris was in front of us, "Boys," he started warmly, "It's been a while."

"Not long enough," I muttered into my knees. _Not long enough._

* * *

Splinter watched the sidewalk as he walked with his hands in his pockets. He had no real destination in mind. A warm breeze ruffled his shirt, alleviating some of the sweat that had collected under the unwavering sunshine. Splinter brushed damp hair from his eyes, noting offhandedly how much gray was starting to show. _Kids, _he thought with a wry smile.

The humor faded quickly, though. _Kids indeed, _he thought, _I wonder where mine have gotten to._ Splinter tossed the situation around in his mind, going back to last night, when the whole affair had started.

The rescue team got to the island seven minutes after the initial strike. They had monitors posted around the area, alerting them to any unusual activity. Taking into account an average of two minutes to scramble the teams, and five minutes to reach the safe house from the mainland, they should have been able to intercept the attackers.

Splinter shook his head. _It must have been one very disciplined assault_. Replaying Donovan's conversation with him, the whole thing just tripled in convolution. It went from a straightforward kidnapping attempt, to a mess of double agents, mysterious explosions, and an extremely qualified assault team.

Splinter considered his options. What was his best opportunity for locating his sons? He had free rein to investigate any possible avenues of information. It hadn't taken much to convince Director Cunningham to allow him to take over the assignment. Not that he would have let Donovan stop him from investigating anyway. Splinter would hardly let something as trivial as his boss stand between him and his sons.

The way he saw it, there was a number of different approaches he could take on this case. He had the teams working the bombings, or he could try to flush out the mole. He supposed he could even go down to the island and check it out for himself; he doubted he'd find anything, though. No, priority number one would be to discover the identity of the double agent. If he could find the agent, he could find the people he or she was working for, and from there it would only be a matter of time before he got to his sons.

Decided on a course, he found his feet suddenly had a lot more direction. He hurried to an old, antique shop, stepping inside and closing the door softly. He wound through the store with practiced ease and proceeded up the stairs in the back. He knocked lightly on the door and smiled when it opened.

"Ms. O'Neil, I had hoped to find you at home. I would like to take you up on your offer of assistance."

* * *

I leaned back into the couch, inadvertently dragging Donny with me. "Whaddaya want, Morris?" I asked, deliberately slurring my words together. "I thought Leo told ya to buzz off last time."

Dr. Morris smiled, "Your brother and I did not see quite eye to eye when we last met, but I can assure you, my position has not changed. My only goal has been to reunite you boys with your parents."

I yawned loudly, cracking my jaw, "Blah blah blah, that's the same stuff you were trying to sell us last time. Right before your lab blew up, in fact. That wasn't nice. Any idea who's got it out for ya, Doc?"

"Nothing more than a jealous rival attempting to sabotage my work," he replied disdainfully. "Now, as to the reason I had you boys brought here—"

"What kinda work you in anyway, Doc?" I interrupted. "Not security, surely, I mean Leo and I broke in in like two seconds flat. You could be some kinda mad scientist, I guess. You keep enough people in jars anyway." Dr. Morris took a seat, sitting down stiffly. He leaned forward, and I could see him physically trying to remain conversational, trying to remain in control of the situation.

"Now, Raphael, is that anyway to talk about your parents?" he began.

I shrugged, "Who says those were my parents? You? No offense, Doc, but you're not too trustworthy. You've got more of the crazy, I-experiment-on-humans vibe going on, than the trust-me-I'm-a-good-Samaritan kind of vibe.

I could see Dr. Morris' pleasant façade beginning to crack. I was no Mikey, but I could still tick people off when I wanted to, and angry people were easy to manipulate. They didn't think too clearly when their emotions were running high. I should know.

"If you'd just listen to what I'm about to say—"

Finally, for the clincher, I belched, loudly, cutting him off mid-sentence. Belching on command, Mikey would be proud.

"You two!" Dr. Morris finally screeched, pointing at two of the commandos from the boat, "Remove this buffoon from my presence. I will talk with the intelligent one. Alone."

I grinned inwardly. The two commandos stepped forward. One drew out a knife and cut Don's handcuffs. I felt the smile fighting to break out as I felt the knife begin to slice through my own. _This was just too easy…_

**Does that last line sound ominous to anyone else? Anybody think it's going to be that easy? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? **


	11. Unwinding

**Evening, everyone. Thanks once again to everyone who spared me a review. Lovies to all for your consideration. Thanks for pointing out my error BubblyShell22. I went back and found it, but have yet to fix it. I'm my own editor, so I don't catch a lot of the little stuff, haha. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this next chapter. **

** _IMPORTANT!_ I will be gone for a week to an anime convention, so this will probably be the last update until next Monday. If I have a chance, I might update tomorrow, but don't count on it. **

**Disclaimer: (0.0)/ This is not the disclaimer you're looking for. **

To say that this was the worst night I'd ever spent would be an understatement. I'd slept more soundly the night I'd been posing as a runaway living under a rail bridge. You know you've got it bad when you're longing for a flea-laden blanket under the most obstreperous bridge in the state.

Despite the fact that I had tied the rope over my clothing, it had still managed to chafe the area above my hips, leaving an itchy, pink ring. The lifejacket had done the same to my neck, along with giving me a nasty crick. My hands felt strange against my face. They were so wrinkled I couldn't properly bend my fingers. My feet could only look worse.

I began the arduous task of reeling my duffle up from the depths of the ocean. I coiled the rope as I did so. Finally, I managed to haul it above water level and stuffed both the rope and deflated lifejacket back in. I hitched the bag up over my shoulder and groaned as I felt its weight. _You were so bored only yesterday, _I reminded myself ruefully. I began a slow crawl, heading toward the rising sun. _Not bored anymore._

By the time I could see the next island on the horizon, I was exhausted. I thanked myself yet again for my meticulous exercise schedule. "Anal-retentive" my foot, Raph could blow it out his ear next time he whined about training. It was probably the only thing keeping me alive right now, and if my brothers had it as bad as I did, it was probably keeping them alive too.

After another hour of swimming, I hobbled up the beach. My legs were weak after propelling my body through so much water, not to mention the extra strain created by the drag from the duffle bag. I dropped to my knees after making it above the water line, resting for a few precious seconds. I needed to scout the island, to find someone with access to a phone. First things first though, I stripped off my wet clothes and pulled out a fresh set. I slipped on a light blue tank top and knee-length khakis. I briefly considered my katanas, but decided against it. I wasn't sure who lived here, better not to be seen with two large swords strapped to my back.

I hauled the bag back up over my right shoulder and headed farther up the beach. It wasn't long before I found a road and subsequently a house. I was just about to walk up the drive when something made me hesitate. Something, some sixth sense, twinged inside of me, and I veered off the path at the last second, seeking shelter in a clump of bushes. I peered through the branches, and my eyes widened in surprise. _No way…_

* * *

I rocked my chair back, balancing on two legs. Captain Morales had left me below decks, heading back up the ladder to check on her crew. My stomach grumbled loudly, and I patted it apologetically. "Sorry, bud," I said, "Captain Morales says there's no room for food on a boat this size, but she promised to feed us as soon as we pull into port."

It had taken a while for me to explain my whole story to Morales. I wasn't sure where to start, so I went all the way back to the beginning, when this mess started in New York. I told her about The Foot, about being kidnapped, about Dr. Morris' lab… She had perked up when I mentioned the cryogenic chambers and my "parents."

"I met your parents once," she'd said, "It was a long time ago. They were very brilliant."

I'd shrugged awkwardly. Of the four of us, I remembered our parents the least. I was only three when they died, though, so that was kind of to be expected. I remembered Mom's eyes. The rest of her face was a blur, but the eyes really stood out. They were round, pointed just a bit at the ends. A murky brown, with depths that just pulled you down, losing yourself and revealing nothing. None of us had her eyes. No one could have eyes like she did.

Dad…Dad was harder to bring to mind. Nothing really stood out on him. He had an average face, average mouth, average nose… His eyes were green and bright, but they were eyes I saw every day, in the eyes of my brothers, when I looked in the mirror; he branded all of us, stamping out Mom's mystery brown. I guess what came to mind when I thought of Dad was his voice. It was deep and rich, with a note of warmth in it, just at the bottom of everything he said…

My eyes snapped back to the present as I tipped my chair just a little too far. I fell back into the wall with a crash and toppled off to the side. "Smooth, Mike," I chided myself as I rubbed my head. "Very smooth."

I straightened the chair and sat back down. I heard footsteps on the ladder and watched Morales climb back down. "Everything ship shape up there, Captain?" I asked.

"Yep, we're right on course," she answered, sitting down across from me once again.

"Where are we headed any way?" she had yet to tell me much about our course or destination.

"Well, at the moment we're headed for an airstrip located just off the coast. From there, we'll take a plane up to New York."

"Have you called T.M.N.T.? Let them know what happened and everything?"

"Yes, yes, I let them know. I told them we'd bring you back up with us. They can decide what to do with you once we get up there."

"And my handler? Agent Splinter? Did you get a chance to talk to him?" Of all the people I could trust, Splinter was right at the top of the list. If anyone would know what to do, he would.

"I'm sorry. I had to keep the transmission short. I'm sure he'll be waiting for you when you get back, though."

"Yeah, yeah, of course," I replied, a bit dejectedly. Surely Splinter was worried about me. Wouldn't he have wanted to make sure I was ok?

"Michelangelo, I did have something I wanted to talk to you about," Morales began.

Before she could speak any further, though, a shout from on deck interrupted her. "Captain! We could use you up here."

Morales sighed. The corner of her mouth lifted in an apologetic half-smile. "Looks like we'll have to continue this conversation later. Maybe you should get some rest. You've had a long night."

I nodded, stifling a yawn, "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll just make myself comfortable down here." Dr. Morales left me to my own devices, and I pushed together a couple of chairs to make a makeshift bed. It wasn't comfortable, but it would do. With that, I drifted off, letting my worries for the coming future drift away.

**The end of chapter 7. Like-y? No like-y? Give-y me review-ys?**


	12. Unbound

**Hello, everyone! First off, I would like to apologize for how late this is! The Internet has been patchy at best recently, but I'm pretty sure that's all fixed now. That being said, my posting schedule will probably be erratic for a while. I unintentionally got involved in a rather large and time-consuming project. I will try to update every other day, but if I can't, I do apologize in advance. Enough of that. In short order: thank you reviewers, everyone is awesome, enjoy the fic. **

**Disclaimer: If you are having trouble viewing this disclaimer, please consult your physician immediately. It may be a sign of Pathological Possessive Neurosis, a degenerative disease that affects your body's ability to discern the difference between fanfiction and reality. **

Raph's plan might have worked. It really might have. He got Dr. Morris riled up, he got the goons to untie me, and he just about had himself untied, but then his luck ran out. Dr. Morris, who had finally regained some composure, stopped his henchmen just in time. "You idiot," he'd snapped, "do not free both of them. Take the Neanderthal into the other room and secure him to something, but whatever you do, do not allow him to escape."

I felt Raph heave a sigh, as he realized his plan had failed. I flashed him a sympathetic smile as he was led away. Maybe I could think of something. I did have my hands free now after all. At least part of Raph's plan had worked.

"Now," Dr. Morris began, "maybe we can have an intelligent conversation. I remember you being slightly more rational than your siblings."

I shrugged, rationality was relative. Even Mikey sounded rational when compared to some of the whackos we'd encountered.

"You're parents are still alive," Dr. Morris announced.

I stared at him blandly, "You told us that last time."

Dr. Morris waved my comment away like an annoying fly, "And it still holds true to this day. The cryogenic chambers that you saw in my lab protected them from the explosion. We recovered them intact and shipped them to another location."

"And you're telling me this why?" I asked. "I think we made it perfectly clear that we want nothing more to do with you."

Dr. Morris clicked a tongue against his teeth, "What you and your siblings desire is not my concern. What is important to me is finding a way to restore your parents."

"You have Mikey's bone marrow," I answered. "If those actually are my parents' remains that your keeping in those chambers, and if your procedure is sound, then you should be able to wake them up."

"Ah," Morris said, shaking his head, "you're assuming that we still have the bone marrow. While your parents did survive the explosion, I'm afraid our sample did not. We need a new one. Did you not wonder why I had you and your brother taken from the island?"

"I was curious," I responded, "but why take me and Raph? You know Mikey's your match. Why are you even having this conversation with me?" My brain stuttered over this new information. If all Morris was after was another bone marrow sample, why didn't he have Mikey cuffed right here next to me? He knew Mikey was a match; he hadn't had a chance to test the rest of us. Taking Raph and me was a gamble because there was no guarantee that we were a match for our parents.

"My Donatello and I thought you were the smart one," Morris shook his head, giving me a reproachful look. "I tried for all four of you. I'm afraid you and Raphael were the only two my team managed to recover."

That confirmed the suspicion that had been niggling at the back of my mind. I had been pretty sure that Leo and Mikey had gotten away, but up until now I couldn't be one hundred percent positive.

"So what?" I asked. "You're just going to hope that one of us is a match?"

"Yes, that is my plan," he answered. "And if you're not, well, you'll make good bait then, won't you?"

* * *

I jumped to my feet as the door opened, but slumped back down as Don was thrown unceremoniously inside, followed immediately by the closing door. Grumbling, he untangled himself, taking the time to loop his still newly-bound wrists under his legs, bringing his arms around in front of him.

He sat up and looked around the small space they'd dumped us in. There was a bed; a tiny, grimy window; and a set of pipes running down one wall. I was currently cuffed to them, but that wouldn't last for long; I'd nearly chewed through my bonds.

"You ok, Donny?" I asked. He looked fine, but it never hurt to ask, especially where mad scientists were concerned.

He nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. They're not going to try torturing us for information just yet." He said this with a half smile; his mind seemingly occupied somewhere else. He started gnawing absently on the plastic cuffs.

I decided to ignore him for the time being. When Donny got a problem caught up in his head, he was impossible to talk to. He'd answer you all right, but you could never tell if the question had registered or not. He could give you a completely straight answer, but then never remember you asking him in the first place.

I finished freeing myself from the pipes and rubbed my aching wrists. I straightened up and stretched, locking my hands together and pushing up toward the ceiling. My back cracked in several places, and I let loose a contented sigh. Time for a little exploration.

And a little exploration it turned out to be. The room was barely nine by nine, and aside from the bed, completely bare. The bed was a simple metal frame, bolted to the floor. It had a thin, foamy mattress, with several large brown spots, and a steel gray woolen blanket. The window could be nixed as a potential escape route. I could maybe fit one leg through there, and that was if I squeezed. Not even Mikey, our resident contortionist, could fit though it.

By the time I finished my inspection, Don seemed to have come out of his big brain coma. He'd nearly gotten his cuffs off, too.

"So what's the scoop?" I asked. I was curious as to why Dr. Morris had gone through all the trouble of lifting us from the island. Why were we so important to him?

"He's back on that thing with our parents again," Donny replied. "They lost Mikey's bone marrow in the explosion and now they need some more."

A shot of excitement coursed through me, "Do they have Mikey? Is he here too?"

Don shook his head, "No, Morris said we're the only two he caught. That means Mike and Leo got away."

That was both a relief and a disappointment. At least if Mikey and Leo had been here, we all could have escaped together. The way it was now, we didn't know what had happened to them. They were free from Dr. Morris, but there were a lot of alternative scenarios that could be just as bad, if not worse.

"Did he say what he wanted with our parents?"

Donny held up his fingers, miming air quotes, "He wants to 'reunite us with them,' or something equally idiotic that he thinks we'll believe."

"So, in other words, we don't know."

Donny nodded, "But we're going to find out."

**Fin! For the moment anyway. Once again I would like to apologize, both for the tardiness of this update and for possible future tardiness with subsequent updates. I hope you have enjoyed the story thus far. Review!**


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